Toilet article



I. FLORMAN TOILET ARTICLE Sept. 5, 1950 Filed Sept. 2, 1948 m T v n MQMW Vm, m F 9. U; r Y B Fig.5

Patented Sept. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES Zifiiiillfi'l QFFICE TOILET ARll'ClLE Irving Flfllmhn, New York, N. 5..

Application September 2, 1948, Serial No. He'll (Cl. 2l-61) Claims. 1

The invention relates to toilet articles, and more especially to such articles intended to be carried in a ladys handbag.

As is well known, it has become fashionable in recent years for ladies to smoke cigarettes. For this reason, many of them have made a practice of carrying cigarette lighters in their handbags or pocketbooks. These lighters, however, generally depend on petroleum extracts for their fuel. The odor of this fuel material is not pleasant, and in addition is penetrating and. easily transferred to other articles, so that the carrying of the lighter detracts from the daintiness of the user, by creating an unpleasant aroma on gloves, handkerchiefs and other things carried in the same container. Even other types of lighters, using methanol, catalytic elements and the like also have unpleasant odors caused by the fuel and by the burning of residues left on the catalyst. At the same time, the operation of the lighter is likely to cause the fingers of the user to become imbued with the unpleasant smell of gasoline or other substances. For these reasons, many especially particular ladl even though they use cigarettes, will not carry lighters but rely entirely on matches, for fear of losing their personal daintiness.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an article which overcomes the above disadvantages.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which can be for the lighting of cigarettes, but which can be carried in a without danger of causing loci: of personal dain tiness by the user.

A further object of the invention a device useful for the lighting of cigarettes, which is so arranged that the user is not likely to impart the odor of gasoline to her hands when lighting a cigarette.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of this type which can also be used by a lady for the application Of perfume.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of this type having means for dispensing an aromatic material which will diffuse the unpleasant scents of tobacco, gasoline, naphtha, methanol, compressed gas, or the gases resulting from the burning of residues left on platinum or other catalysts.

Still another object of the invention is to pro Vide a device of this type in which the control means for the cigarette lighting mechanism is remote from the wick, so that operation of the lighter, including especially the raising of a cover to provide from the wick, can be accomplished by a finger or thumb a point remote from the Still a further object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature having a casing with an arrangement for lighting cigarettes and an arrangement for dispensing perfume, the latter including a nozzle 0 outlet orifice movable to several positions, and. the two arrangements being so located with respect to one another that in one position of'the outlet orifice the perfume dispensing arrangement will when operated discharge periume on the cigarette lighting arrangement so to neutralize, mask or destroy the unpleasant odor of gasoline emitted thereby.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation a toilet article embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is atop plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-2. of 2; and

Fig. 4: is a detail cross-scction of the latch releasing mechanism.

In the form shown in the drawings, the invention includes a casing 2 formed of sheet metal and having two end portions of substantially cir cular horizontal cross-section connected by narrower central portion. The end portions are open at the top, while the central part is closed by a web l having a notch therein adjacent one side.

Mounted in one of the end portionsand slidably removable therefrom, is a perfume discharging arrangement. This includes a reservoir 6 fitting in the open top of the cylinder end portion. Within this is threaded a tube 8 extending to a point near the bottom of the reservoir and having in its lower end a one-way ball valve iii. The upper end of tube 3 is enlarged into, cylindrical portion 22. A plunger i t slides in tube 3 and has a longitudinal passage it communicating at its lower end with a check valve Plunger an enlarged top 2i? serving as a finger piece, and this top has a downward flange 22 slidablewithin cylinder 52. Flanges i l and 26011 these two parts limit the relative sliding movement of the plunger Hi, but allow the plunger to turn in pipe 8 about a vertical axis. Coil spring 28 pushes plunger M upward. A nozzle or discharge orifice 30 in the side of top 20 connects by passage 32 with passage l6.

The cigarette lighting mechanism is located in the other end of the casing on the opposite side of web 4. In the preferred form shown herein, this lighter is of the pyrophoric type, although in its broader aspects the invention is not so limited. It includes a fuel container 34 open at the bottom, within which is arranged an absorbent material 38 such as cotton. Container nas an upward extension 38 above the casing closed by a top wall 40. A wick tube 42 extends through the top wall and holds a wick 44. Ears 46 upstanding from the top wall carry a pin or shaft 48 on which is mounted a flint wheel 58. This wheel engages in conventional fashion a hint mounted in flint tube 52 and spring pressed against the wheel.

Pivoted on pin 48 is a cover 54 carrying a snuffer cap 56 adapted to cover the wick. A coil spring 58 normally urges the cover to open position. A conventional ratchet mechanism is arranged between the cover and the hint wheel so that raising of the cover turns the flint wheel to cast sparks on the wick. The rear end of the cover forms a shoulder 88 which is engaged by the free end 62 of a strip of spring metal pivoted at 64 on the side wall of container This strip engages in the notch in web 4, and thus locates the lighter mechanism in the casing. The lower end portion 66 of the strip is bowed away from the container and its free end rests against the container wall, so that the free upper end is resiliently held under shoulder 58. A pin 88 (see Fig. 4) has one end loosely engaged in a hole in one wall of the narrow central portion of casing 2. The other end has a flange '18 just inside the opposite casing wall and a head i2 extending through horizontal slot '14 to the outside of the casing. This pin is located about half way up the casing, immediately adjacent the bowed part of strip portion 66.

The arrangement operates as follows:

When the user wishes to light a cigarette, may first turn the head of the atomizer or perfume dispensing device so as to point towards the lighting mechanism. Then downward pressure on head will discharge perfume over and around the lighting device. This takes place because, at each upward stroke of the plunger perfume is drawn into the bottom of well 53 through valve Ill, while on the downward stroke the space is reduced and the perfume is forced upward through valve [8. As soon as the pressure on head 20 is released, spring 28 restores the plunger to its upper position. Then button HP. is pressed towards the left (Fig. 1) and pin pushes in the bowed part 66 and causes free end 62 to swing clockwise (Fig. 3) from beneath shoulder 60. Spring 58 then raises cover 54 and rotates flint wheel 50 to ignite the wick.

When the cigarette is lit, button '20 can again be depressed to freshen the lighting mechanism, and cover 54 is then pushed down to closed position until end 52 reengages under shoulder 88. The lighting mechanism is then ready for another operation.

If the user wishes merely to apply some perfume, the head 20 is turned (for example, to the broken line position, Fig. 2) until the nozzle points away from the lighter. Now when head 20 is depressed it will dispense perfume on any desired point.

While I have described herein some embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself thereby except within the scope of the claims hereto or hereinafter appended.

I claim:

1. A toilet article comprising a casing, a perfume dispensing arrangement carried by said casing and including a discharge orifice movable to discharge perfume in at least two different directions, cigarette lighting mechanism carried by said casing in position in the path of perfume issuing from said orifice in one of such positions, said lighting mechanism including a wick and a cover movable to cover and uncover the wick, means normally urging said cover to open position, latch means for holding the cover in closed position, means operated by opening of the cover to ignite the wick, and manually operable means remote from said mechanism to release said latching means.

2. A toilet article comprising a casing, a perfume dispensing mechanism carried by said casing and including a discharge orifice at the top of the casing movable to discharge perfume in at least two directions, cigarette lighting mechanism at the top of the casing in a position in the path of perfume issuing from the orifice in one of said positions, said orifice being turnable about a vertical axis, said lighting mechanism includ ing a wick and a cover movable to cover and uncover the wick, means normally urging said cover to open position, latch means for holding the cover in closed position, means operated by opening of the cover to ignite the wick, and manually operable means remote from said mechanism to release said latching means.

3. A toilet article comprising a casing, a perfume dispensing mechanism carried by said casing and including a discharge orifice at the top of the casing movable to discharge perfume in at least two directions, cigarette lighting mechanism at the top of the casing in a position in the path of perfume issuing from the orifice in one of said positions, said lighting mechanism including a wick and a cover movable to cover and uncover the wick, means normally urging said cover to open position, latch means for holding the cover in closed position, means operated by opening of the cover to ignite the wick, and manually operable means remote from said mechanism to release said latching means.

4. An article as claimed in claim 3, in which said manually operable means is on the side of the casing remote from the top thereof.

IRVING FLORMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,704,091 Lozoff Mar. 5, 1929 2,166,881 Voss July 18, 1939 2,434,825 Williams et al Jan. 20, 1948 2,451,238 Pritchard Oct. 12, 1948 

